ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva may have been emotional when he ranted against the House of Representatives, allegedly belittling district and party-list representatives, according to ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo.
In an ambush interview on Tuesday, Tulfo said that it was surprising for Villanueva to make such statements against the House, considering that he was once a party-list lawmaker under Cibac party-list, which his father, televangelist Eduardo Villanueva, now represents.
“I was really surprised with [Senator Joel]. His father, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, is with us in the party-list coalition. That’s why all of the members of the party-list were shocked, and we talked about why Joel Villanueva was able to say such words when his father is a party-list representative,” Tulfo told reporters in Filipino.
“Their group, Cibac, is also a party-list. So maybe he was affected by emotions. He had a privilege speech, I think, yesterday explaining it, saying it was taken out of context. But it is clear, he was quoted, there are cameramen around. Maybe he was just emotional, but hopefully he retracts it because it seems insulting to party-list representatives,” he added.
Tulfo was referring to Villanueva’s speech at the Senate plenary dated January 24, where he said that people cannot say that a party-list representative is equal to a senator.
Clips of Villanueva’s privilege speech were aired during the House session on Monday, after the privilege speech of Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.
Adiong said all members of the 19th Congress are equal since the 1987 Constitution does not distinguish between members of the Senate or the House.
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Tulfo said members of the party-list coalition have not talked to Cibac party-list Rep. Villanueva about his son’s remarks, but most of the coalition’s members are hurt over the senator’s statements.
“I still have to talk to him, but that is the sentiment of all party-list members; they are quite hurt […] there are district lawmakers like yesterday, who spoke for the party-list. So what we are saying is we are all voted by the people, so you cannot say you have more votes because we were also voted nationally,” Tulfo said.
“Maybe Senator Villanueva forgot that the party list is also getting votes nationwide; it’s not only for the districts but the party lists’ votes are only divided, but if you combine it, we can match the votes obtained by senators,” he added.
The word war between the House and the Senate started when Villanueva and other senators accused House leaders of being behind a people’s initiative, which supposedly seeks to abolish the Senate by introducing joint voting of proposed constitutional amendments.
However, the House leaders maintained that they are not looking towards abolishing the Senate, noting that Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which the House passed last March 2023, calls for a constituent assembly — which will have two chambers of Congress voting separately.
Villanueva drew flak after his remarks, with Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co asking the senator not to act ‘sanctimonious’ given his link to jailed businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, who masterminded the pork barrel scam.
Villanueva in response reiterated that his signature was forged and that the issue had been resolved years ago.